As budget season comes into focus, the first effects of the financial strain brought by the need to clean city water of PFAS can be seen. The preliminary budget discussed and adopted at the Sept. 3, 2024 city council meeting, among many other changes includes a 37.3% increase to city water rates, an increase designed to pay for the first of three water treatment plants in the city. The first water treatment plant is currently expected to cost $20.6 million and will be located in the Hastings Industrial Park.
Due to Hastings’ blended water system, the construction of a single water treatment plant will lower the overall levels of PFAS in the city, but not provide water below federally recommended levels of PFAS to any resident. Hastings’ city water will not fall below federal guidelines for PFAS until all three water treatment plants have been constructed which is mandated by 2029. A residential fill station has been included in the design of the first water treatment plant, meaning that residents will be able to fill containers with water that has been treated for PFAS at the site.
“We have had something like that now for contractors that doesn’t have PFAS removal at our public works site so we’ve been in the fill station business,” said Public Works Director Ryan Stempski.
While the city continues to search for outside funding for all of the water treatment plants, the 37.3% increase reflects that burden falling to residents. This figure, however, represents “the worst case scenario,” said City Administrator Dan Wietecha, as it could lower as other sources of funding are secured. The city has already received a $3 million grant from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency for the design of each water treatment plant, coming out to $1 million per plant, and is waiting to hear back on a $3 million Emerging Contaminant Grant that would go towards funding the first water treatment plant.
“We are fighting to have someone else pay for this because we did not do this,” said Mayor Mary Fasbender.
As to why the rates are increasing now instead of waiting until outside funding is secured, “We are also on a timeline and we can’t wait for grants and outside assistance,” said Wietecha during his presentation on the preliminary budget.

Site study
The site study for water treatment plants 2 and 3 was also discussed at the Sept. 3 city council meeting. Water treatment plants 2 and 3 are currently set to be constructed in Lions Park and Wallin Park respectively but those placements had always been far from finalized. Those locations had been chosen in part due to previous feasibility studies and the fact the city already owned the land, making them cheaper options. Due to both resident backlash and a city preference for locating these 10,000 square foot facilities outside of residential zones, a site study was undertaken to examine several other potential locations for water treatment plants 2 and 3.
For water treatment plant 2, two other sites were studied beyond the Lions Park site: Site 2-2, which is located at 1290 N. Frontage Road where Carbone’s Pizzeria currently is, and Site 2-5 also located along North Frontage Road on county-owned land near the Dakota County Government Center. Of these three sites, Site 2-2, or the Carbone’s site, was preferential due to its proximity to the existing nitrate treatment plant.
For water treatment plant 3, three sites beyond Wallin Park were studied: Site 3-2 located along General Sieben Drive south of SEAS Church, Site 3-5 located at the intersection of Pleasant Drive and 160 Street East owned by Dakota County and Site 3-7 located at the intersection of General Sieben Drive and 160 Street East which is already owned by the city. Of these three sites, Site 3-2, or the SEAS Church site, is preferential.
While residents may be relieved that local parks will not be cleared for these water treatment plants, the cost of acquiring land and constructing thousands of additional feet of piping to these sites is not yet clear. According to Stempski, the owners of both Site 2-2 and 3-2 are “favorable in working with the city.”
To view full videos of city council meetings, visit Hastings Community TV’s YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@HastingsCommunityTV